The Moon is in Capricorn today, applying to square the nodal axis of the Moon as it gets into the mix of the Uranus/Pluto square.A few ideas to consider as subtle bodies within today’s astrology…* Knowing our greatness means knowing our location, our place, and the particular limitations we each have that also make us unique* Knowing our potential also means learning to discriminate from far reaching visions of our greatness down into specific commitments or niches…* Building and manifesting are sometimes junk words…what are we building specifically, and have we gone through the quiet nobility of the defeats that not only humble the ego but also give it a specific place with specific set boundaries to work within?There is a quiet joy in limiting ourselves. Even when we feel like we have unlimited potential..the truth is usually that our potential doesn’t want to be unlimited…it very much wants to take its unique shape, and shapes by their very nature are limiting….limited. The radical idea of the moment is that limiting ourselves, refining our focus, and trusting this contraction deepens the force of our character. This is a different kind of victory.As the IChing says, “Be like the sun at midday. Don’t mourn the inevitable descent.”What makes the Sun at midday so great? The IChing teaches in this small text that the greatness of the Sun’s highest position contains within it the noble knowing of its own death. This is the black body within the light.Words, phrases, and images to consider right now:* Oaths* Victory* Acknowledging limitations* The Sun at midday, ready to decline* A specific place, knowing it’s the right location* A force of inner royalty/pride/power building stronger but also quieter* Illusions crumbling but also leaving us with the realization of where we actually are, where we’re actually standing* The quiet clarity of a more precise visionPrayer: be like the sun at midday, don’t mourn the descent but shine brightly with the force of your quiet royalty, the quality of light that only death can see

The Moon is in Sagittarius today, applying to make our last quarter Moon this afternoon. A very fiery atmosphere from yesterday and last night into today.If you had trouble sleeping, join the club. If late light creative breakthroughs or eruptions were part of your life (or the last day or so), join the club! A potent last quarter moon that featured a near exact grand fire trine last night. Creative juices flowing…impulse level high…agitation, irritation, and excitement full swing!Today as the Moon makes its last quarter aspect, a closing set of decans, both in mutable signs, tells the story. When we want something badly enough, what will we sacrifice to get there? What happens when the task is almost complete but the last push before completion is finally the hardest? What happens when we impulsively drain the bank account just after restoring it or just after reaching our savings goal? Even if we’ve used our hard earned resources to get something we’ve wanted for a long time, if we’ve rushed or lunged even a little for what we want next, then there is a chance that the purchase we’ve just made will require another hard line of karmic work before we can truly relax and enjoy what we’ve just acquired.The other story we’re seeing is the story of ideals and beliefs, and whether or not, in the end, they lead us to where we thought they would. What have we learned from past lifetimes that is coming to a head right now? In some ways we are repeating an old story, but in other ways the accumulated wisdom of our soul is allowing us to do things the RIGHT way this time around. The hard part is that when we see an old pattern surfacing, we get freaked out. As if it’s a total black or white issue. The key here is to pause and take stock. Your fear is healthy, and this is not disaster coming just because it’s familiar or just because it’s been negative in the past. Your fear is also your wisdom and its telling you that you can handle things differently this time around, with mindfulness, courage, trust in others, and loyalty to the oaths and callings you’ve come here to fulfill.We are so eager to rewrite the past right now, and this isn’t just reckless…it’s also the hand of the daemon guiding our fate. When it’s time it’s time, and all we can do is recognize that our part in this is complicated. We’re not fully to blame and we’re not merely victims of greater forces. Walking the fine line of balance (Libra north node), as we try to do things differently this time around, is what’s called for.Isn’t it funny how when destiny actually shows up we’re terrified that we’ve made a huge mistake, or that our destiny is actually our fault? This is because destiny is always bound up in the past or a mythic back story, and therefore destiny is risky. Destiny involves our faults and flaws, and destiny involves the feeling that while there is an incredible opportunity in front of us, there is no real guarantee we will get it right.Well…here’s to all of us utilizing what we’ve learned, what deep knowledge lives inside of us, strapping on our boots and backpack, and taking to the trail of whatever is opening in front of us!Prayer: may the wisdom of this cycle help us to finish this phase strong, so that we might enter into something familiar with brand new insights

This first full moon of the new year falls across the Cancer/Capricorn axis, while it simultaneously engages the Uranus/Pluto square and the nodal axis of the Moon: a cardinal grand cross.This grand cross may not be quite as strong given that the 4th point in the cross is a node rather than a planet, but the argument should still be made that we are passing through an incredibly powerful porthole to start the new year.Images:* A mother exhausted by her child, breastfeeding, stares at her framed diplomas* A man slips in the rain and mud while taking the trash out, curses, gives up* A young woman on a hiking trip with friends, loses patience with their slowness and their caution, blazes forward until she can't hear their voices anymore* A teenage boy stuck in traffic, calms his own anger, focuses on trying to look the patient, mature part instead..feels good* A father surprises himself by being open to his daughter's criticism..."you're right," he says to her. * A kid kicking his legs underneath the dinner table, eager to return to his room where he's been building an elaborate world* A single mother introduces her new boyfriend, feels alone the entire time* Someone finally says, "Stop guilt tripping me about everything."* A sigh of disapproval and frustration. "I'll do it myself."* A new position, the first day on the job* The ceiling disappears...above is the wind and the sky..the air is cold and the time is nowImages have the powerful ability of speaking to the planetary weather in a way that simple archetypal descriptions cannot. Looking through the images above, see if any of them resonate...and then practice going deeper into any of the images as though the scene or image was an aspect of your own life right now. What comes through? How does your scene develop? How does it connect you to your inner guidance and what does that inner guidance have to say?Prayer: Help us to move through this Full Moon period with a curious mind and a listening heart.

The Moon is in Gemini today, aspecting Uranus, Chiron, and the nodal axis this afternoon. Meanwhile the Sun is almost conjoined with Pluto in Capricorn just as its entered the second, Venus ruled decanate of Capricorn.Success, hard work, determination, public reputation…but not without style, class, pleasure, and beauty. This is the second decanate of Capricorn…where the influence of Venus is working its way into the Capricorn season. Meanwhile Mercury is about to conjoin with Venus (both also in Capricorn right now), emphasizing the phrase “beautiful communication.”Images:* A man looks in the mirror, likes the way he looks, says so* A woman driving in her car, lets someone in her lane, feels good about herself* After success, a second glass* Someone in the street is lifting a heavy box; they look good doing it* Hanging paintings and wall art without extra help; great placement without a tape measure* A man with a pipe in his study, surrounded by decades of books and totems, puts his feet up* A grandmother organizes her brand new calendar, sips her favorite tea* A slowly written thank you letterAs the Sun conjoins Pluto in the next few days we will walk through a very powerful time of transformation or transition. The transition may not be felt ultra consciously since it is still very early in the solar year, but the events of the next week, through the Full Moon, will indeed be tone setting for the year ahead. Right now many people are getting new ideas, new actions, and new visions that will need acting upon swiftly in order to “catch the wave” of the planetary forces. So whatever you do, don’t dally if you know it’s the right time for something new. Don’t be lazy. don’t wait for later. Don’t go to your usual list of excuses. Now is truly the time. The Pluto/Sun conjunction allows for us to see our nonsense very clearly and to actually do something about it. The hero (Sun) sees the darkness (Pluto) and grows stronger/wiser and more focused as a result. The ego is capable of maturing a great deal in the next week, but it all depends on taking the actions that we know we need to take and not avoiding them out of fear or complacency.This challenge is full on right now given the simultaneous “Venus” vibe that’s hanging around in the air. It could be very easy to slide into a kind of wishy-washy “half assed” zone. Right now, if we do the work we know we have to do, and we make sure to take our time and enjoy ourselves while we’re doing it, the results will be a much easier/smoother journey toward the Spring Equinox (when many of these works will turn a major corner and we will find even more support for the work we’re now starting).Prayer: My yoke is easy and my burden is light. –jesusImage by courtesy of Reed, at creative commons image licensing.

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Adam Elenbaas is a professional astrologer and the founder of the Nightlight Astrology School. Adam holds an MA and MFA in English and Creative Writing and is one of the founding writers at RealitySandwich. To learn more about Adam, click here.